Anyone have any recommendations on starting equipment? Long story short, I always learn something new every month and learning to weld has been on the list for awhile. This month was "make cheese from scratch." So next up its welding, I have a few little welding projects I want to tackle (like fixing that wobbly BBQ), and I figure its about time to learn.

Any info is always appreciated! :)

nuclearlemon

03-21-2014, 01:24 PM

best advice i've gotten was from christo who told me never buy a cheap welder because they don't work and then you get frustrated and don't practice and he was right, i had two crappy welders (one i bought, one i won in a raffle) and i hated them. splurged for a millermatic175 after seeing how treeroot liked his and have been happily welding up stuff since then

baja1d

03-21-2014, 03:34 PM

best advice i've gotten was from christo who told me never buy a cheap welder because they don't work and then you get frustrated and don't practice and he was right, i had two crappy welders (one i bought, one i won in a raffle) and i hated them. splurged for a millermatic175 after seeing how treeroot liked his and have been happily welding up stuff since then

Agree with Ige... Auto darkening mask, YouTube a few vids, get some scrap metal, and start welding some chunks together. Use a grinder with a flapper disc to grind your welds down and check for air pockets. Use a cut off wheel to cut your welds & check your technique/penetration. Don't start on light weight metal like a BBQ stand- you'll burn through the metal zip ass and have a tri pod stand in no time!

RedCreeper

03-21-2014, 08:40 PM

Miller 211 is a nice start also. Doubt you will need more and don't forget the shielding gas.

girraffe

03-21-2014, 10:56 PM

I have a cheap Lincoln 125hd it is a gassless/flux core wire feed I got at Home Depot. I have been happy with it and it didn't cost a whole crap ton of money up front. It has the option of converting to gas in the future, which is why I bought it. Runs off 110

Corbet

03-21-2014, 10:58 PM

Another vote for the Milermatic 211. Love mine. You can start off on 110v if you don't have a 220v plug in the garage. Not many home projects will require a larger machine.

Don't skimp on your helmet. The more sensors in the auto darkening shade the better.

Then its just practice practice practice. Larger the metal the easier and work down.

blkprj80

03-22-2014, 08:38 AM

And another vote for the mm211. Very capable machine.

chilitoy

03-22-2014, 11:42 AM

Me, too on the 211. Lincoln has the 180 dual, and is spool gun ready, but for some reason I like Miller better. HF has some cheap auto helmets that seem good for hobby welders. If you're gonna spend the $$$, go Speedglas(9100x). PRACTICE! Ask questions, sometimes it can be something simple like wire speed, or you're out of shielding gas, crappy chinese metal, etc., that is giving you problems.:beer:

Bruiser

03-23-2014, 08:08 AM

I also have the miller 211. It is my first welder and has been able to grow with my needs. Added 220, gas, bigger projects. Your welcome to try mine if your are ever around the Littleton area.

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RedCreeper

03-24-2014, 01:01 AM

second the hood part. dont skimp. I have the speedglas 9100x and a jackson nexgen. both great hoods. not sure which i prefer yet. the nexgen has a gold lens so your not looking at a green puddle. I have a bigger miller 252 in my shop and not far from you if you want to run some stuff. Also have an extra hood. just have a funky schedule though.

callahanoffroad

03-24-2014, 08:28 AM

Thanks for all the great advice guys! When I get a little closer to being able to pick one up I hit-up someone close to me for a trial run. :)

coax

03-24-2014, 09:01 AM

Being a noob at welding as well I picked up a Lincoln Promig 140 a few years back. Runs off 120v, doesn't take up a bunch of space, has the ability to hook up a tank of gas to it, and was reasonably priced (~500). Has worked great for a few years and only ever needed to replace the tips.

best advice i've gotten was from christo who told me never buy a cheap welder because they don't work and then you get frustrated and don't practice and he was right, i had two crappy welders (one i bought, one i won in a raffle) and i hated them. splurged for a millermatic175 after seeing how treeroot liked his and have been happily welding up stuff since then

agreed.. and with a cheap welder. you wont even know if your doing it right because it still produces a ****ty weld. there for more frustration

RockRunner

03-28-2014, 09:31 AM

To learn more go to the Miller forums. They are great, you can upload a picture of your weld and pros pick them apart with constructive criticism. Also if you need help setting your welder up for a project they will help you. The forum is just like ours, ask and learn.

As mentioned practice but after learning myself the biggest item I found I should have spend more money on is the HOOD. Mostly for when you are welding under a truck, you can't always get the right angle for your head so the bigger viewing area the better. If you can't spend that much money all at once get a HF helmet and save for a top of the line Miller or ????

Good Luck

jps8460

03-28-2014, 06:47 PM

Prosise and I have an older miller 250x that is fantastic and has provisions for a spool gun. Handles everything I can throw at it including my rear bumper and sliders.

I think we picked it up for bit over a 1000 wich at the time was a great deal.